Research Summary
Research Summary
Competition and Collusion in Ocean Shipping
Description
The liner shipping industry has been dominated by cartels since the late 19th century. Rich Sicotte's research builds on his 1997 Ph.D. thesis and employs analytical tools of industrial organization and economic history. He is examining the sources of variation in the extent of collusion achieved by different shipping cartels. He is also studying the competitive effects of exclusive contracts between carriers and their clients. The political economy of government policy toward this industry is an additional topic of research.